1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to bovine tooth restoration and, more particularly, to an overdenture for placement upon the eight (8) anterior incisors present in the lower jaw of a bovine and method for installing same.
2. Description of Related Art
Cattle or bovines feed in the wild by grasping grass and other vegetation between the gum pad at the front of the upper jaw and the eight anterior incisors in the lower jaw. Such grasping, in combination with head movement, causes both a cutting and a tearing of the grasped vegetation. This vegetation includes foreign matter, such as dust, sand, grit, etc., on the surfaces thereof or otherwise forming a part thereof. The foreign matter will, over time, abrade a bovine's incisors and cause a wearing to dull the incisors and otherwise make them less effective to perform their cutting or tearing function. After a period of years, usually at about age seven (7), the effectiveness and wear of the incisors of a bovine has been severely compromised. Such reduced effectiveness reduces the amount of intake of fodder and the bovine will begin to lose weight. Additionally, the reduced fodder may compromise the health of the bovine. The final result is that the bovine either starves to death, dehydrates, or dies from diseases or injuries resulting from its reduced state of health.
The normal life span of a bovine, when not compromised by reduced effectiveness of its incisors, is in excess of 12 years. Thus, a bovine not suffering from compromised incisors has the ability to give birth to from four (4) to five (5) additional calves. The premature death of a bovine and the concomitant unborn calves represent a significant economic loss.
To date, various dental prosthetic devices have been developed to extend the effective life of the anterior incisors of a bovine. However, even though these various prosthetic devices and attendant attachment or implantation procedures are functionally and operatively sufficient to obtain the results sought, the attendant economics are not justified. That is, the prosthetic devices will require the services of skilled dentists and are time-consuming to perform. The attendant costs do not justify the benefits obtained, particularly when coupled with the inherent medical risks of any dental procedure. In addition, to date no method to attach an overdenture has been proven effective or remained in place (as installed) during the extended life period.